Babies & gardens

[theroux21]

What sort of things do you all do with your babies in the garden?

Sounds like an incredibly silly question, but I just feel like we’re not utilising the garden as much as we should be but I’m always completely and utterly stumped for ideas on things to do with baby (4 months old - coming up to 5) in the garden.

I have a small patch of grass (no fence, leads onto street) in the front garden and concrete and stones in the back garden. He normally watches me hang the washing on the line in his bouncer or watches the dog run around, but need to start stimulating him in the garden more and actively playing with him.

Other than blowing bubbles and letting his little toes feel the grass, I’m out of ideas.

Any sensory ideas, games etc please?

Thank you!! :)

For that age that probs is the best of it. As they become mobile they can crawl / toddler after balls. You can also set up tuff trays with sensory play - tiny bit of water and some paper boats, sand and toys etc etc. We have a small climbing frame / slide and I use it to roll a ball / cars / trains down which seems to be good entertainment.

Also we spend ages sitting on a bean bag talking about the sky, birds, trees, bees etc. And I also spend most of it stopping them eating every pebble, leaf and plant in sight 🙄

Blanket. Toys books etc. Let them roll around on the blanket. Maybe rather than one long period goniut every hour or so for 15 min.

Mines 8 months and I spend most of the time outside shrieking "oh my god don't put that in your mouth!", last week a snail and several handfuls of earth. That aside, I just take out her usual toys from indoors to play with and she also likes watching me bashing a flower pot with a trowel.

At that age, what you're doing is fine! You ask about "sensory ideas" but everything stimulates at least one of the senses! Even if he is just lying on a blanket watching you, he'll smell grass, feel the earth below the blanket, see flowers and sunshine... honestly, you're doing fine. Babies have thrived for millennia without sensory games and intensive parenting. Take it easy on yourself

At that age mine loved their swing.

We actually still have a massive swing (basket type) and they are 8&10.

Enjoy the calm before he starts crawling and wants to eat bugs and pebbles. If he's not crying then it's fine to let him just watch you while you chatter to him.

I spend most of the time outside shrieking "oh my god don't put that in your mouth!", last week a snail and several handfuls of earth

Same here

Toys on a blanket is best for that age, or bouncy chair. We sometimes took the high chair outside for a bit of a different perspective - you could do that in a couple of months? Especially good if it is warm enough to eat outside.

I miss DS being little in the bouncy chair, it was so much easier to hang a washing load out than it is now he’s walking and has to be strapped into the pushchair...

One of my children was afraid of grass so we could plonk her on a mat and she’d stay there with some toys until she was quite old (for a baby). It was so easy and then she realised at 14m she was afraid no more so just tried to find different ways to get into trouble. Enjoy it while it lasts.